By Robin Moule

Swaledale females, leading ladies of the northern fells, gathered for their standalone annual show and sale day outing at CCM Skipton Auction Mart, with trade for 2294 head levelling at £139.13, a solid increase of £28.73 on the year.

Joint highs of £280 per head were seen for both first prize pens of ten in the two show classes, with the undoubted highlight an unprecedented ninth consecutive victory in the ewes show, again with 3-crop, for the North Craven Robinson family - Stuart and Debbie, and sons, George and Michael – from, Foredale Farm, Horton-in-Ribblesdale.

Their joint top pen comprised four by a Robert Hutchinson, Bowes, tup, and three each by Paul Harker, Punchard, and David Harker, Overthwaite, rams. Two further pens of ewes from the same home made £200 and £170, complemented by a shearling pen at £210.

The red rosette-winning £280 gimmer shearlings came from Cumbria and Alan and Fiona Alderson, of Barras, Kirkby Stephen, four in the pen by home-bred tups, another four by Raine family. Stanhopegate, rams, the other two by Raymond Calvert, Hoggarths, tups. The Aldersons – Alan served as Swaledale Sheep Breeders chairman for 18 years – sold further shearling pens at £220 and £200.

The two section-topping pens confirmed the choice of co-judges Sammy Fawcett, of Barden and Chris Ryder, from Blubberhouses, who awarded second prize among the ewes to Rob Tennant, Conistone-with-Kilnsey, these also selling readily at £270 each, others from the same home making £200, £185, £180 and £175. The third prize pen from C Nelson & Son, of Bordley, sold at £210, bettered by another pen at £250, plus one at £180, supplemented by shearling pens at £200 and £190.

Back in show, the gimmer shearling runners-up came from 2023 first prize winners, Sandy and Sheila Harrison, of Cowling, selling for £190, bettered at £210 by the third prize pen from Fiona Hogg, of Long Preston. The Harrisons stepped up with another £200 pen, shearlings from WB Woodsworth, of Hazelwood, Bolton Abbey, also catching the eye at £250, plus a further £200 pen from RJ Newhouse, of Long Preston. Other nice pens of shearlings could command £170-£190.

Generally, strong, tidy ewes were in popular demand, with a more commercial type of ewe also up in price given the tighter numbers currently available across the north. Plenty of pens sold at £150-£200, the most genuine draft age ewes £110-£145, just some smaller types under £100.

Selling averages were up across-the-board. Swaledale shearlings averaged £170.63 (2023 £141), 1-crop ewes £133.82 (£108), 2-crop £137.92 (£111), 3-crop £137.92 (£96), 4-crop £120.02 (£83). Aged ewes sold to £150, averaging £170.63. Top Tags Animal ID again sponsored.

The peak sale season at CCM continues. The third seasonal sale of gimmer lambs, which attracted an increased entry of 3105 head, featured four show classes, while the annual show and sale for in-lamb Charollais females, supplemented by a standalone ‘Autumn Charms’ sale, again proved popular. Reports will appear in the Herald and online.